14 January 2003The ruling ZANU-PF
party has dismissed reports by the British intelligenceand their surrogate,
the opposition MDC, suggesting that Cde Robert Mugabewill quit his post as
president of Zimbabwe before the expiry of his term ofoffice.

ZANU-PF
secretary for information and publicity, Cde Nathan Shamuyariradescribed the
reports as wicked, malicious and mischievous attempts meant tobring the
British-sponsored MDC into power through unconstitutional means.

The
British media is awash with stories claiming that a succession plan hasbeen
hatched and President Robert Mugabe will soon step down as head ofstate
before the expiry of his term of office to pave way for a
transitionalgovernment which will oversee fresh elections.

The report
says the British-sponsored MDC is part of the plan, with itsleader Morgan
Tsvangirai involved in talks with retired colonel Lionel Dyke.

Cde
Shamuyarira said the ruling party, the acting president, Cde SimonMuzenda
and the ZANU-PF secreatry for administration, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwaknow
nothing about the reports and they have never discussed such an issueand
will never be an agenda for now.

Cde Shamuyarira also disclosed that any
attempts at working with theopposition MDC have been abandoned because of
the rogue and immaturebehaviour of its parliamentarians at state occasions,
including theirfailure to remain disciplined in parliament.

The
commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Vitalis Zvinavashesaid the
report is not worth commenting on as it is the work of enemies benton
destroying Zimbabwe.
CNN

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe's ruling
party has dismissed reports thatPresident Robert Mugabe would retire as part
of a plan to set up apower-sharing government to end the country's political
and economic crisis.

Nathan Shamuyarira, secretary for information in
Mugabe's party, accusedBritain, Zimbabwe's colonial ruler, of being behind
reports the increasinglydictatorial president would step down in a deal with
the opposition Movementfor Democratic Change.

"It is not correct. It
is a mixture of wishful thinking and mischief on thepart of the British," he
told reporters at the headquarters of the rulingZimbabwe African National
Union Patriotic Front party in Harare.

Independent mediators trying to
end the nation's political crisis said onSunday two of the ruling party's
most powerful figures -- parliament speakerEmmerson Mnangagwa and armed
forces chief of staff Gen. VitalisZvinavashe -- proposed Mugabe's
retirement. The offer was made in hopes ofregaining international legitimacy
and renewed aid and investment for thecountry during a period of
transitional rule.

The mediators, fearing allegations of treason if the
offer collapsed, spokeon condition of anonymity.

MDC officials also
denied the offer on Monday.

However, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai told
The Associated Press on Sundaythat he had received the offer. He said his
party's lawmakers were ready tovote with the ruling party for a
constitutional amendment allowing thecreation of a caretaker government once
Mugabe stepped down.

The power-sharing government would aim to end an
economic meltdown that hasleft at least half Zimbabwe's population on the
verge of starvation.

There was no suggestion Tsvangirai would head a
caretaker government, thoughhis party would be offered a small number of
Cabinet posts, the mediatorssaid.

Shamuyarira said on Monday that
Britain backed the opposition and wanted tosee Tsvangirai installed in
power.

"The British would like to see that happening, but it is not going
tohappen," he said.

Mugabe's whereabouts were unclear on Monday.
There was no official word onhis scheduled return from a two-week vacation
abroad to southeast Asia.

In another reversal of opposition policy,
Tsvangirai said any agreement onMugabe's resignation would include
guarantees of immunity from trial overalleged misrule and human rights
violations during his 23 years in power. Healso could remain in the
country.

Malaysia has reportedly been approached to offer Mugabe
sanctuary if hechose to leave.

Mugabe, who led the nation to
independence in 1980, won a new six-year termin elections last March that
independent observers said were deeply flawed.The MDC, along with Britain,
the European Union and the United States, haverefused to accept the results,
saying voting was rigged and influenced byviolence and
intimidation.

Thousands of white-owned farms have been seized, often
violently, in thepast three years, a practice Mugabe has defended as a
justified struggle bylandless blacks to correct colonial era injustices
which left 4,000 whitesowning one third of the nation's productive
land.

Disruptions in the agriculture-based economy and erratic rains have
causedacute shortages of hard currency, gasoline, food and essential
imports.
Financial Times

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party has
dismissedreports of a plan for embattled President Robert Mugabe to retire
early andmake way for a government formed with opposition
support.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and
the SouthAfrican government also denied on Monday any role in the so-called
"Mugabeexit plan" reported by Zimbabwe's privately owned Sunday Mirror
newspaper asa bid to end the country's worsening political and economic
crisis.

The 78-year-old Mugabe, who has ruled since 1980, faces
internationalisolation over his seizure of white-owned farm land and a
controversialelection victory last March. Critics say the land campaign has
exacerbatedfood shortages threatening seven million Zimbabweans with
starvation.

The Sunday Mirror reported that authorities in
Zimbabwe, South Africaand former colonial power Britain had proposed a plan
that will see Mugabehand power to a chosen successor before the end of his
current term in 2006.The reports were also carried in the international
media.

"It is a mixture of wishful thinking and mischief on the
part of theBritish," Nathan Shamuyarira, ZANU-PF information secretary, told
a newsconference.

"We are alarmed by the extent to which
Britain is prepared to go tointerfere in Zimbabwean internal affairs. It
should also be known that it isnot possible to form a government of national
unity with an irresponsibleopposition," he added.

The
opposition denied any role in the plan.

"Reports coming from the
media that suggest the MDC is party to anexit package for Robert Mugabe are
false," MDC spokesman Paul Themba Nyathisaid in a statement.

MUGABE SUCCESSOR?

Talks between the MDC and ZANU-PF on the
political crisis collapsedlast year when the opposition challenged Mugabe's
election victory over MDCleader Morgan Tsvangirai. Many Western countries
also condemned the poll asfraudulent.

Tsvangirai told BBC radio
on Monday that he was approached in Decemberabout an initiative from two
senior ZANU-PF officials -- the speaker ofparliament and the head of
Zimbabwe's armed forces -- to resumenegotiations.

"My own
assessment was that the issue of succession has not beendecided in ZANU-PF
and that there were people who were positioningthemselves to take the
initiative within ZANU-PF," Tsvangirai said.

He said the MDC would
be ready to resume talks when "Mugabe stops theviolence, stops politicising
food distribution and returned the country topolitical
normality".

Tsvangirai also did not rule out granting Mugabe
immunity fromprosecution if he stepped down.

Mugabe's
retirement plans have long been the subject of speculationand last month
ZANU-PF was forced to make a statement that the veteranleader would serve
his full term.

The Sunday Mirror said the plan would see Mugabe
handing power toEmmerson Mnangagwa, the speaker of parliament and a close
confidant. Aninterim government would then lead the country until
parliamentary andpresidential elections in 2005.

Mnangagwa,
seen as Mugabe's preferred successor, said the reports"were all
lies".

"Nothing is happening. There is no truth to it. We don't
know where itis coming from," he told South African public radio on
Monday.

"SHAPE OF DEAL TO COME"

But analysts said
Zimbabwe's political elite are feeling the bite ofits economic crisis and
Western sanctions against Mugabe's inner circle. ASouth African newspaper
reported on Sunday Zimbabwe Information MinisterJonathan Moyo had stocked up
on staple foodstuffs during a family visit toSouth Africa.

"If
not now, this may be the shape of a deal to come," said RossHerbert, a
senior Africa researcher for the South African Institute ofInternational
Affairs.

The Sunday Mirror is run by Ibbo Mandaza, a former senior
civilservant in Mugabe's administration, who is considered close to
thegovernment. The report quoted diplomats and "sources privy to the
highlyconfidential plan".

The Sunday Mirror named South Africa
as a key broker of the transitionplan, but the Pretoria government said on
Monday it was not aware of thedeal.

Zimbabwe's woes have
weighed on the South African rand and speculationabout the plan lifted the
currency on Monday.

HARARE -- Zimbabwe's main opposition party on Monday denied
reports in theBritish press that it was involved in a plot to send President
Robert Mugabeinto exile and allow for a government of national unity to be
formed, AFPreported.

The **Times** of London reported Monday that a
scheme was being hatched bysenior officials in Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe
African National Union(ZANU-PF) Party which would guarantee Mugabe immunity
from prosecution if heagrees to leave the country.

The paper cited MDC leader
Morgan Tsvangirai as saying his party was readyto offer immunity to the the
long-time leader of Zimbabwe who reelected toanother six-year term in March
last year after holding power since 1980.

Sources close to ZANU-PF said
they believed the authoritarian leader --whose domestic policies have
plunged Zimbabwe into economic hardship andseen the Southern African country
ostracized by the internationalcommunity -- "wants to go" and has agreed to
the plan, the paper said.

The **Times** quoted Tsvangirai as saying that
Emmerson Mnangagwa, theparliamentary speaker and number three in the ZANU-PF
hierarchy, and ArmedForces Commander General Vitalis Zvinavashe had
contacted him about thescheme and promised that Mugabe would stand down as a
first step.

In return, the MDC would be ready to offer him immunity from
prosecutionthat could stem from his violent campaign of repression of his
opponents andthe seizure of nearly all white-owned farms in the country, the
paper said.

"We have more to lose by getting bogged down (on issues like
Mr.

Mugabe's immunity) and more to gain by saying this is a hurdle we
haveovercome. We have to give dialogue a chance," Tsvangirai was quoted
assaying.

The Malaysian government is believed to have tentatively
agreed to offerMugabe asylum, the **Times** said.

Former colonial
power Britain had been informed of the scheme and offeredsupport, it
added.

On Monday, both Nyathi and Tsvangirai's spokesman, William Bango,
said theBritish daily was probably referring to a claim made last month
byTsvangirai that there were diplomatic efforts afoot to get him to meet
withMugabe.

He claimed then that Britain, South Africa and the ruling
party were workingbehind the scenes to get him to the negotiating table with
Mugabe to discussthe country's many crises.

Zimbabwe's economy has
nosedived, with severe shortages of foreign currencyand inflation running at
around 175 percent. The country is also in thegrips of crippling food
shortages which threaten more than two-thirds of thepopulation of more than
11 million with famine.

The shortages have been blamed on a drought which
has ravaged SouthernAfrica, but critics have also pinned part of the
responsibility for theworsening food crisis on Mugabe's controversial land
reforms, which haveseen white-owned commercial farms seized for
redistribution to landlessblacks.

Nyathi said there has been no
easing of relations between his party andZANU-PF.

"We as a party are
exactly where we were when the talks between MDC andZANU-PF broke down" in
May last year, he said. Those talks, which were aimedat finding a way out of
the post-election impasse between the two sides, ranaground after the
opposition launched a legal challenge to
Mugabe'sreelection.

Tsvangirai, who lost to Mugabe in the March
election, has rejected theoutcome of that vote, alleging fraud and
malpractice, and called for freshpolls.
ZIMBABWE: Power-sharing plan rejected

JOHANNESBURG, 13 January (IRIN) -
Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on Monday denied
news reports that it was involved in a deal to guarantee a safe exit for
President Robert Mugabe and the setting up of a power-sharing
government.

The UK daily The Times, and the Associated Press news agency,
on Monday reported that under the arrangement, allegedly backed by leading
members of the ruling ZANU-PF party, Mugabe would receive a guarantee of
immunity against prosecution over alleged misrule and human rights violations.

According to The Times, parliamentary speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa (widely
regarded as Mugabe's chosen successor), and armed forces chief of staff General
Vitalis Zvinavashe had contacted MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai about the deal and
promised that Mugabe would stand down.

The newspaper quoted MDC leader
Morgan Tsvangirai as recently saying his party was ready to provide Mugabe,
currently on vacation in Thailand, with immunity if he gave up power.

But the MDC has since denied any involvement in the plan, saying since
the collapse of talks in May 2002 brokered by South Africa and Nigeria,
negotiations with ZANU-PF were "closed".

"The MDC is not aware of such a
plan," vice-president Gibson Sibanda told IRIN. "We remain open to negotiations
with ZANU-PF with regards to the setting up of a transitional authority. Under
this transitional authority the decline of the economy, food shortages and other
issues bedevilling this country would be addressed. However, this transitional
authority will not rule indefinitely. We are still committed to holding fresh
elections."

Sibanda added that the MDC did not have a policy on whether
or not Mugabe would face prosecution should he relinquish power. "There is no
hard position on whether Mugabe would receive a total amnesty or not should he
give up power. We will wait and see what ZANU-PF puts on the table and then we
will decide," Sibanda said.

ZANU-PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira also
dismissed The Times report as "a mixture of wishful thinking and mischief on the
part of the British".

French news agency AFP quoted Shamuyarira as
saying: "We are alarmed by the extent to which Britain is prepared to go to
interfere in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe ... It is not possible to form a
government of national unity with an irresponsible opposition, an opposition
that does not respect the constitution, that does not respect the presidency,
that does not respect parliament."

Moreover, Shamuyarira added, there
was no constitutional provision to form a government of national unity before
Mugabe's current term expires in 2007.

The MDC has refused to accept the
results of the March 2002 presidential election, saying that voting was rigged
and influenced by violence and intimidation. The political stalemate has been
accompanied by an economic meltdown, manifested in an acute foreign currency
scarcity, fuel and food and shortages.

"ZANU-PF is becoming increasingly
aware of how untenable the current situation really is," John Makumbe, a
political analyst at the University of Zimbabwe told IRIN. "There is definitely
credibility to the proposed ouster plan, although ZANU-PF is unlikely to admit
to it."

Jackie Cilliers, director of the Pretoria-based Institute for
Security Studies, told IRIN that reference to the power-sharing deal and
proposed immunity for Mugabe in news reports probably referred to a claim made
by Tsvangirai last month that there were diplomatic efforts afoot to get him to
meet with Mugabe.

In an address to MDC parliamentarians in December,
Tsvangirai claimed then that Britain, South Africa and the ruling party were
working behind the scenes to get him to the negotiating table with Mugabe to
discuss the country's many crises. He named a retired white army officer,
Colonel Lionel Dyke, as an alleged emissary of Mnangagwa and
Zvinavashe.

Cilliers said: "There has been talk for some months now about
a possible deal. If it turns out to be credible then this would satisfy South
Africa as they have always favoured quiet diplomacy as the answer to Zimbabwe's
problems. But it is important to note that ZANU-PF is not as unified as it is
portrayed in the media. There are factions which have great interest in
maintaining the status quo, while others realise that a sinking Zimbabwe doesn't
help anybody."

Civil society activist Reginald Machaba-Hove told IRIN
that Dyke's meeting with Tsvangirai was likely "a fishing expedition, not the
start of serious negotiations. I see this as the start of exploratory talks, to
see if the MDC would be open to such an arrangement, and it would be very
suprising if it was not with the knowledge of President Mugabe".

He added
that not only had the media publicity "killed" the prospect of any such deal,
but it would also be likely rejected by Zimbabwean NGOs, an important support
base for the MDC. "Civil society's position would be for broad-based
consultations, not a deal done by a few people behind closed doors,"
Machaba-Hove said.

Johannesburg - Errol Stewart, a former South African one-day
player, hasconscientious objections about going to play three games in
Zimbabwe for theSouth African 'A' team next week.

Stewart, the
KwaZulu-Natal wicketkeeper and strong candidate to make the 'A'team, does
not want to lend credibility to the Mugabe regime by playingagainst Zimbabwe
to help them with their preparations for the World Cup.

"My conscience
will not allow me to live in a luxury hotel in a countrywhere people are
dying of starvation and there is not even petrol. Assomeone in the legal
profession, I am very sensitive about the abuse ofhuman rights and the fact
that the Zimbabwean judiciary is put under so muchduress.

"I also
don't agree at all with the way land is taken away from farmers.Ordinary
Zimbabweans are being persecuted and there is no equal distributionof food
in that country.

"Mugabe pays no heed whatsoever to democracy. There is
starvation and Iwould never be able to forgive myself if I support a tyrant
like Mugabe bygoing there to play cricket and give credibility to what he is
doing to hispeople.

"I cannot think how any country could declare
themselves willing to go andplay there during the World Cup. They don't even
have food for their ownpeople. How are they going to provide quality health
care in the event of aplayer or a supporter getting injured?" Stewart
asked.

Stewart represented South Africa in five one-day matches and is
also thesecretary of the South African Players Association.

Stewart
is hoping that the fact that he is the first player to openly take astand
not to go in play in Zimbabwe would motivate Australian and Englishplayers
to do the same.

He informed the convenor of national selectors, Omar
Henry as well asselector Pat Symcox that he will not be available for the
three matches inHarare. The 'A' team that will be announced on Tuesday, will
play againstZimbabwe on 22, 25 and 26 January.

Stewart said he has
not yet heard of other players sharing his convictions."However, I belief
that there will be other players feeling the same way. Isincerely doubt that
the stand I'm taking would count against me in terms ofmy future selection
for the South African team. It would be petty if itdid," Stewart
said.

As wicketkeeper Stewart is a strong candidate to be one of the five
officialreplacements for the South African World Cup squad.

The
state media and the government of Zimbabwe have accused, LewisMachipisa, a
Zimbabwe journalist of spying for the British BroadcastingCorporation (BBC)
and SW Radio Africa a community radio station based inLondon.

In a
front page lead story that appeared in the state owned weekly, TheSunday
Mail on 22 December 2002, the paper said that Machipisa is nowworking for
the BBC and a London based community radio station SW RadioAfrica despite
the "fact" that the government banned the BBC from operatingin Zimbabwe
after accusations that the station was peddling "falsehoods".The government
has also labelled SW Radio Africa as a hostile station, whichthey accuse of
peddling "anti Zimbabwe propaganda".

The paper said that Machipisa is now
going "underground" in the rural areasshooting images for the BBC and
writing stories and sending them to London.Machipisa is also accused of
sending pictures to SW Radio Africa.

In a move that has worried many
journalists in Zimbabwe, the state ownedpaper produced what it claims to be
briefs of Machipisa's conversation withBarry Langbringe, BBC's head for
Africa and the Middle East. The paperquotes verbatim what Machipisa is
claimed to have said over his work for theBBC. "George Charamba, (Department
of Information and Publicity PermanentSecretary) called me to ask about my
clandestine activities.BBC TVreporters. I refused the claim and offered to
meet him to cover up theproblem. I suspect they have bugged my cellphone,
that is the only way theycould have got this information," The Sunday Mail
alleges Machipisa saidthese words.

The work that Machipisa does for
the BBC has however never been a secret inZimbabwe. MISA-Zimbabwe notes that
it is public knowledge that Machipisacorrespond for the BBC and he appeared
in one issue of the widelycirculating magazine "BBC focus on Africa" in
2002, which profiled his workin Zimbabwe. The story by the Sunday Mail,
which is made to appear like ascoop, is nothing but attempts to draw
attention of the authorities toMachipisa and ultimately intimidate him to
stop working for the BBC.MISA-Zimbabwe notes with concern the complicity of
the state media in the ongoing harassment of fellow media workers.
Ends

Government's efforts to stamp out the
country's black market will notsucceed unless senior Zanu PF and government
officials move away from theparallel market, some disgruntled ruling party
activists have said

The activists who declined to be named for security
reasons, said it was awell known fact in Bulawayo that some senior Zanu PF
officials were fuellingthe black market by hoarding maize and then selling
it at exorbitant prices

They alleged that Matabeleland North
governor Obert Mpofu, among othersenior officials, was hoarding mealie meal
and reselling it, and thereforedefeating the efforts to stamp out the black
market

"The governor is selling mealie-meal from his home at an inflated
rate, andthis defeats the entire purpose of banning the millers because he
is nodifferent from them," said the activists

Jabulani Sibanda, the
chairman of the Zanu PF Bulawayo province confirmedthat there were problems
in the distribution of food and that many of theneedy people were failing to
benefit

"I can't comment on individual cases but what I can say is that
something isnot correct in the manner in which maize is being distributed.
They (Mpofuand Livingstone Mashengele, the provincial administrator) are the
people incharge of food distribution and it is not for me to say whether or
notanyone is hoarding maize," he said

Approached for a comment,
Governor Mpofu who is currently on leave, statedthat he was not at liberty
to talk to the press

"Isn't there anyone in the office you can talk to.
Can't you respect myprivacy? I do not want to appear in the paper when I am
on leave," he said

Mushengele told The Standard that reports about the
hoarding of maize byofficials could not have been made to his office since
he was one of theaccused

"Naturally, complainants will not come to
this office as they will thinkthey are reporting to the alleged culprits.
What surprises me is that we arenot in charge of the distribution of maize
so I can't imagine how we couldhave diverted maize for hoarding. What I know
is that people are failing toreceive maize because of the inadequate
deliveries," he said.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has a big idea. And, while
it'svirtually unknown in the United States, in South Africa it has attained
whatUniversity of the Witwatersrand political scientist Tom Lodge calls
"almostliturgical status." The idea is that, under Mbeki's leadership, South
Africais ushering in a continentwide "African Renaissance." This
renaissance, inMbeki's vision, is about genuine modernization, in contrast
to theartificial, failed modernization that characterized the first decades
ofAfrican independence. It means assimilating Western technology--not
justimporting it, but integrating it with traditional African values so it
nolonger feels alien. And, even more importantly, it means
assimilatingdemocratic values--giving substance to the veneer of
parliamentary democracythat has characterized despotic postcolonial African
government. Just asAfricans must make the Internet their own, he argues,
they must internalizedemocracy as well. It is time, Mbeki announced in 1998,
to "put behind usthe notions of democracy and human rights as peculiarly
Western."

Coming from the democratically elected leader of Africa's most
powerfulcountry, those are important words. They implicitly repudiate
therelativistic nonsense that African dictators and their Western
sycophantshave long peddled to justify the continent's tyrannies. And they
form themoral foundation for a kind of grand bargain: Africa's leaders will
demanddemocracy across the continent, and the United States and Europe will
rewardthem by substantially boosting foreign aid. The outlines of such a
bargainbegan taking shape in 2001, when Mbeki helped create something called
theNew Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). In June 2002, it
wasendorsed by the G-8 economic powers. In July, it won the endorsement of
theAfrican Union. Just as Mbeki hoped, Africa seemed to be embarking on a
newpartnership with the world.

There's just one problem: Mbeki
himself. His behavior is betraying hisvision. And with his blessing,
Zimbabwe is turning his African Renaissanceinto an ugly joke.

In the
last two years, Robert Mugabe has put his country on the fast lane tohell.
And Mbeki's government has cheered him on. Mugabe's campaign of terrorbegan
in June 2000, after the opposition Movement for Democratic Change camefrom
nowhere to claim close to half of the contested seats in parliament.Mugabe
responded with a two-pronged strategy aimed at securing victory inthe
presidential elections due in 2002. First, he whipped up racial hatredby
sending government goons to chase white farmers off their land. Second,he
began plotting to rig the vote. And Pretoria helpfully facilitated both.In
December, after months of continuous, often violent, land invasions,
adelegation from the Southern African Development Community--of which
SouthAfrica is the most powerful member--lauded Zimbabwe's "improved
atmosphereof calm and stability." Not long afterward, as Lodge notes in
Politics inSouth Africa: From Mandela to Mbeki, the leader of an African
NationalCongress (ANC) delegation to Zimbabwe announced that he was
"deeplysatisfied" by Mugabe's opposition to allowing foreign monitors to
observethe upcoming presidential vote.

Mugabe eventually relented,
allowing select foreign delegations to observethe campaign. What they found,
in the words of University of LondonProfessor Stephen Chan, author of Robert
Mugabe: A Life of Power andViolence, was "a massive and sustained program of
brutalities andpersecutions, of beatings and murders, of coercion and
threats." The head ofthe Zimbabwe Election Support Network, an alliance of
local civic groups,said, "There is no way these elections could be described
as substantiallyfree and fair." State Department spokesman Richard Boucher
said the election"was won by intimidation and not by votes." But the South
Africangovernment's monitoring team disagreed, calling the vote
"legitimate."

After the election, things went from bad to worse. By late
2002, Mugabe'sland invasions had replaced many white farmers with corrupt
party cronies.And, even where needy black farmers did get land, the
government failed togive them the seeds, fertilizer, and equipment to
produce crops. As aresult, in the last year farm production has fallen 50
percent, and thecountry's economy has contracted by more than one-tenth.
Zimbabwe, once amajor agricultural exporter, has begun importing grain. But
the governmentis denying it to people who voted for the opposition. Current
estimatessuggest that half the country faces starvation.

In response
to these atrocities, the United States, Britain, and theEuropean Union have
imposed sanctions. South Africa, by contrast, hasannounced plans to increase
economic cooperation with its neighbor to thenorth. In October, Mbeki said,
"We are not going to act on the Zimbabwequestion with a view to punishment."
He followed that up in December bycalling Mugabe's party, Zimbabwe African
National Union Patriotic Front(ZANU-PF), "our ally and fellow liberation
movement." And, at the ANC'snational conference that month, ZANU-PF came to
say thank you. EmmersonMnangagwa, the speaker of Zimbabwe's parliament and a
close Mugabe ally,told cheering ANC delegates, "On numerous occasions, you
have sought toclarify the position in Zimbabwe in response to our
detractors." Indeed, toMbeki and the ANC's enduring discredit, it
has.

The simplistic explanation of Mbeki's behavior is that he is a
would-beMugabe himself, plotting to impose authoritarian, demagogic rule in
SouthAfrica. The truth is more complicated: Mbeki has actually pursued
anaggressively free-market economic policy, one that has brought him
intoconflict with longtime ANC allies in the labor movement and the
SouthAfrican Communist Party. His refusal to condemn Mugabe, like his
earlierflirtation with Afrocentric AIDS quackery, more likely stems from a
fear ofbeing seen as insufficiently radical by the ANC's militant political
base.

But, whatever the reason, Mbeki's pro-Mugabe policy is making a
mockery ofhis vision for the continent. The European Union, the likely
source of muchof the NEPAD aid Mbeki hopes to procure, has already implied
that itconsiders Zimbabwe a test of African leaders' seriousness about
democracy.If the West does not substantially aid Mbeki's grand compact,
left-leaningcritics will undoubtedly attack U.S. and European leaders as
cynics who talkbig about Africa's future but don't follow through when it
counts. Andthat's partially true. But what about the grandiose cynic in
Pretoria?Morgan Tsavangirai, the Zimbabwean opposition leader now
potentially facingthe death penalty for treason, recently said, "You know
this is the saddestthing about Africa, all these flowery declarations and
all withoutcommitment. ... The declarations are not worth the paper they're
writtenon." Looks like the true African Renaissance will have to
wait.

Zimbabwe was once called the bread basket
of Africa. Today, it is a placewhere "fear and poverty stalk the land." A
place where millions are facingstarvation and the hope of food is fading as
white farmers are forced offtheir land.

"We have a situation of
genocide approaching and no one seems able to stopit," says Mike Carter, a
Zimbabwe farmer who has had to leave his farm after43 years under a
controversial land-redistribution program.

According to the United
Nations World Food Programme, a total of 14.4million people are starving in
southern Africa -- a whopping 6.7 million inZimbabwe alone. Zimbabwe's
government blames a 20-year drought, but it isclear the controversial land
reform program that calls for theredistribution of land owned by white
farmers to blacks -- many of which areMugabe supporters -- has played a
part.

Carter's land has been divided up into 55 plots and allocated to
people fromtown. Nothing has been left for him or his workers to live off of
and theywon't be planting a harvest this year. As well, the fact that much
of theland is being given away in partial plots could mean the end of
commercialfarming.

"So this coming season there will be nothing
produced by us and it appearsthe new settlers will also produce virtually
nothing," says Carter, who usedto farm maize, potatoes, beef cattle,
tobacco, essential oils, flowers andpaprika.

Foreign countries have
become fed up with Zimbabwe's politics and arecutting back on their food aid
amid reports that Zimbabwe President RobertMugabe is denying food to regions
supporting the opposition politicalparties. Last week, the UN stopped
delivering food to one area wherepolitical intimidation had become
intolerable.

"The general economic situation is becoming a catastrophe.
More businessesare closing every day and more people queue for food aid,
which is onlyissued to supporters of the ruling party," says
Carter.

He adds that members of Mugabe's ruling party arrive at his farm
unannouncedand pull the workers from their houses. "They hold political
rallies andtell them that if they don't vote for Zanu-PF, they won't get any
food aid."

A vote against the Zanu-PF could be more dangerous than just
withholdingfood. Carter says people are afraid to express support for the
oppositionMovement for Democratic Change for risk of being arrested, having
theirhomes burnt or even being beaten up. This fear increased during the
Zimbabweelection in March, which was widely criticized as being rigged in
Mugabe'sfavour.

"Fear and poverty stalk the land," Carter says.
"Personal tragedies seemmore prevalent and the AIDS pandemic is more
obvious. The stolen electionhas left a sense of hopelessness and people are
afraid to expressthemselves."

Carter has not had any physical
confrontations with members of Mugabe'sparty. But some of his friends have,
and a few have even been killed. Amongthe 400 families with farms that he
knows personally, all have had theirland taken from them.

The farmers
have been allowed to appeal the acquisitions in court, but thesystem has
some flaws. Carter won a High Court appeal declaring theacquisition of his
land to be null and void. However, a new law allowscancelled eviction orders
to be reissued, which means Carter and his wife,Judy, will have to pursue
further legal action. In the end, they expectthey'll have to move to town
permanently. But they are unsure about leavingZimbabwe
entirely.

"Yes, we do talk about it. But it is a big thing to pull your
roots up whenyou are over 50 years old," he says.

It seems no one is
exempt from the suffering in Africa. And while the UNprovides much-needed
food, Carter says this situation "has exposed the UN asworthless.

"It
needs to define itself as a democratic organization and then implementthese
principles."

It seems many foreign countries are also waiting for the UN
and otherorganizations to deal with the power politics in the country
beforeproviding more aid. Canada, however, has pledged $6 billion over the
nextfive years in new and existing aid. Prime Minister Jean Chretien has
alsobeen a heavy supporter of an African initiative that calls for billions
inforeign aid in exchange for good governance, called the New Partnership
onAfrica's Development (NEPAD).

Carter suggests one way to affect
change would be to ban trading byZimbabwean companies identified as being
close to the ruling ZANU-PF partyand having members as directors. "This
approach should be applied to allnon-democratic
organizations."

Despite the current turmoil, Carter does hold out some
hope for Zimbabwe.

"It will get better when these racist old men, who are
running this country,are finally replaced by sensible people," he says.
"Unhappily they aredetermined to hold on as long as possible."

Harare - A Zimbabwe court has ordered the release of
the opposition mayor ofHarare, arrested at the weekend for allegedly
breaching security laws, themayor's lawyer said on Monday.

Mayor
Elias Mudzuri, who belongs to the main opposition party Movement
forDemocratic Change (MDC), and a group of 21 council officials and
residentswere arrested on Saturday after police said they had held a
politicalmeeting without first obtaining police clearance, which is required
underthe Public Order and Security Act.

"The judge said there was no
reasonable suspicion that they committed anoffence," said Mudzuri's lawyer,
Beatrice Mtetwa.

She could not confirm, however, whether Mudzuri was
going to be charged withassault.

'There was no reasonable
suspicion that they committed an offence'On Sunday, state radio reported
that Mudzuri was facing a charge of assaultafter he allegedly bit the finger
of a policeman who was leading him into aprison cell.

Members of the
MDC have dismissed the charge and claim Mudzuri was"manhandled" by
police.

Mudzuri has said that Saturday's meeting, held in Harare's
low-income suburbof Mabvuku, was called to discuss a severe water shortage
and other civicissues concerning sewage and roads.

It was one of a
series of meetings held amid deteriorating relations betweenMDC mayors and
President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party.

The arrests came just
days after the government announced that governorswould be appointed to
oversee Harare and Bulawayo, the second largest cityin Zimbabwe. Both cities
have MDC mayors.

The government dismissed charges by the MDC that the
move to appointgovernors was designed to bypass democratically-elected
opposition mayors,and has argued that all other provinces in the southern
African country havegovernors.

Mudzuri last week said government
interference was making his job"impossible". Mugabe's government has accused
the Harare mayor of floutingtender procedures and bungling city affairs
management.

Last week a planned demonstration by the opposition in
solidarity with themayor failed to get off the ground due to a heavy police
presence. -Sapa-AFP

But Zanu-PF's
spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira dismissed the alleged plans for Mr Mugabe's
departure - also published in Britain's Times newspaper - as "wishful thinking".

"The British would like to see that happening but it is not going to happen,"
he told a news conference.

The BBC southern Africa correspondent Barnaby Phillips says talks would be
consistent with proposals put forward by African negotiators working to resolve
the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Conditions

Mr Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, told the
BBC's The World Today programme that he would be willing to consider an amnesty
for Mr Mugabe as part of any possible deal.

But he said the deal would have to involve Mr Mugabe's stepping down, an "end
of lawlessness", and free and fair elections.

He said his party was willing to negotiate with the government "provided Mr
Mugabe stops the violence [against opposition supporters], stops politicising
food distribution and returns the country to political normality".

Mr Tsvangirai demands free and fair
elections

Although his party has in
the past called for Mr Mugabe to be prosecuted for alleged human rights abuses,
Mr Tsvangirai said the MDC would be willing to consider granting him immunity as
part of any deal.

"The people have to decide," he said.

Peter Longworth, a former British High Commissioner in Zimbabwe, told the BBC
he found Mr Tsvangirai's claims "very credible".

He described Mr Mnangagwa and General Zvinavashe as "people who can deliver"
a deal.

Succession

Mr Tsvangirai said the offer might be related to a power struggle within the
ruling party.

"The issue of succession [to Mr Mugabe] has not been resolved within
Zanu-PF," he said.

Zimbabweans are facing
famine

Zimbabwe's famine and
economic crisis are worsening by the day.

The crisis was sparked by Mr Mugabe's programme of land seizures, and has
been compounded by poor rainfall.

Previous internationally-backed plans for Mr Mugabe to go quietly have been
vehemently rejected by the Zimbabwean president himself.

But our correspondent says it is likely he is aware of the alleged proposal.

The 78-year-old leader, who was re-elected in March 2002, is due back in the
country on Monday after a two-week holiday in Thailand.

Talks between the MDC and Zanu-PF, brokered by Nigeria and South Africa,
broke down in May last year after the opposition launched a legal challenge to
President Mugabe's election victory alleging fraud.

Mr Mugabe has said he will only step down when his land reform programme has
been completed.

From an original 4,000 white farmers, only some 600 now remain on their land.

The
South African government said today it had no prior knowledge of a planin
terms of which Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe would resign and
bereplaced by a coalition government.Reacting to news that Zimbabwe's
opposition party denied being involved inthe plan, foreign affairs spokesman
Ronnie Mamoepa said the South Africangovernment stood by its earlier
statement that it was "not at all aware" ofthe reported offer.

"We
categorically state that South Africa is not involved in the
reportedZimbabwe deal. We are not aware of the deal at all," Mamoepa
said.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said on Monday that media
reportsthat suggested it was party to an exit package for Mugabe were
false.

"The MDC position is that talks that were facilitated by South
African andNigerian presidents Thabo Mbeki and Olesagun Obasanjo collapsed
at thebehest of Zanu(PF). Since then the party's national council decided
thattalks with Zanu (PF) were closed. No further such negotiations can ever
takeplace without a fresh mandate from the party's national council," said
theMDC's spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi.

AFP reports that Zanu (PF)
dismissed as "wishful thinking and mischief"media reports that senior party
officials were hatching the exit plan forRobert Mugabe.

Speculation about
whether Robert Mugabe plans to resign as president ofZimbabwe is dominating
conversations in Harare.

A man in a parking lot near an international
hotel was furious when he couldnot find a copy of any of three dailies
normally available at mid-morning.He said he wanted to read the newspapers
to learn more about what everyonewas discussing: the rumor Mr. Mugabe was
going to quit.

A beggar at a traffic light ambled over, asking not for
money for food, butwhether it was true that the president was going.
Telephones of foreignjournalists rang incessantly with Zimbabweans asking if
it was true.

What is true is that Colonel Lionel Dyke, a former soldier
who served withboth the Rhodesian and Zimbabwean armies, met with the leader
of theopposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, late
lastyear.

The Associated Press said Sunday that the mediator claimed
he was sent byParliament Speaker Emmerson Mnangagw and army chief General
VitalisZvinavashe to discuss a way out of Zimbabwe's deepening
crisis.

Mr. Tsvangirai says they discussed a scenario in which Mr. Mugabe
wouldretire, and the possibility of a transitional government leading to
newpresidential elections.

The question of amnesty for Mr. Mugabe's
alleged human rights violationsduring nearly 23 years in power was also
discussed. Mr. Tsvangirai said hebelieved that for Zimbabwe to recover,
amnesty for Mr. Mugabe, to ease hisretirement, would be
necessary.

But Mr Tsvangirai said nothing more came from that single
meeting. He saidhe thought so little of it, because there had been several
similar ones inthe past, that he did not fully brief his
colleagues.

Mr. Mnangagw told public radio in South Africa that the
report was all lies.Mr Mugabe, due back from holiday any day, has not issued
a statement.

Most political analysts in Harrare say the issue at stake is
whether theruling ZANU-PF believes the economy will continue to deteriorate
without anypossibility of international rescue until Mr. Mugabe leaves
office or hispowers are reduced.

Meanwhile the opposition mayor of
Harare, Elias Mudzuri, was released fromprison, after a judge said he had
been wrongfully arrested Saturday whilemaking a speech. The judge said there
would be no charges against him.

Analysts say Mr. Mudzuri's arrest shows
that while the ruling elite may betalking about Mr. Mugabe's possible
retirement among themselves, they aredetermined as ever to ensure that
ZANU-PF remains firmly in control.

a.. ITS AGENTS PLANTED BOMB ON PAN-AM
FLIGHT IN 1998 Yet Libya is set to head UN Human Rights
Commission By Betsy Pisik

NEW YORK - Libya is poised to
take over the UN Human Rights Commission(HRC) next week, much to the chagrin
of the United States which is returningto the once-prestigious group after
an embarrassing one-year absence.

Libya is the official candidate
of the African group and is to beendorsed by the Geneva-based HRC next
Monday.

'For Libya to get such an important position is appalling,'
said USenvoy Sichan Siv, who handles human-rights issues at the United
Nations.

'Libya has a very poor human-rights record and it is
wrong...for themto chair the committee.'

The chairmanship, like
many key UN positions, rotates among theregional groups. If African nations
agree to endorse Libya this year, thereis nothing other governments can
do.

Human-rights groups and Western diplomats have been
tryingunsuccessfully to pressure more moderate African governments to switch
theirchoice to a less repressive regime. After a similar effort in
2000,Mauritius edged out Sudan for a seat on the UN Security
Council.

In a largely symbolic show of disapproval, Washington will
to demand aroll-call vote on Monday so that it and other governments can
publiclydistance themselves from the Libyan chair.

US diplomats
posted to HRC nations were instructed by the StateDepartment last week to
lobby governments to join the US-led dissent.

Mr Siv said this
precedent-setting gesture would undermine Libya'schairmanship and 'send a
message' to Asia, which will select next year's HRCchairman.

'Asia can't promote North Korea or Iran, if for some reason theywanted to,'
he said.

Rights advocates say Libya's ascension to the chairmanship
is the mostdramatic blow to the HRC, whose membership has in recent years
swelled withgovernments better known as rights abusers than
defenders.

'The greatest challenge for the HRC is going to be overcoming thetendencies
of thugs to flock to it,' said Mr Ken Roth, executive director ofHuman
Rights Watch.

The more progressive governments in the developing
world have soughtout development committees by which they can influence the
direction ofdonations and technical assistance. The rogue regimes, by
comparison, havebegun to seek out the human-rights organs instead of
ignoring them.

The HRC is the cornerstone of the UN human-rights
effort, anindependent body that monitors government behaviour and the
treatment ofminorities and prisoners.

It sends rapporteurs to
countries to probe abuses including torture,summary executions, judicial
interference and religious persecution.

In recent years, Washington
has tried in vain to win high-profilecondemnations of Cuba and China. Both
nations sit on the HRC and haveincreasingly found sympathy and protection
from its members.

As chairman, Libya will have the power to shape
and schedule debatesbut will not control the commission's
agenda.

Libya, ruled with an iron hand by Muammar Gaddafi since
1969,routinely makes the lists of human-rights abusers. The government
quashesfree speech and jails political opponents, often subjecting them to
torture.There are no independent human-rights groups, and the press is
strictlycontrolled.

Two years ago, a special Scottish court
found one of two accusedLibyan intelligence agents guilty of planting the
bomb on the Pan Am flightthat crashed over Lockerbie. A UN arms and air
embargo imposed after the1988 bombing has since been suspended.

It is widely assumed that Libya, a generous underwriter of the newlycreated
African Union, sought the HRC chair to raise its influence andprofile on the
continent.

The HRC is based in Geneva and meets in the same complex
as the UNHigh Commissioner for Human Rights, which is part of the UN
Secretariat. Butthe UN office has no control over which nations seek to join
the 53-membercommittee or how they behave once they get there.

'But that's a too-fine distinction for most people,' acknowledged onesenior
UN official. 'What kind of credibility are we going to have in
thehuman-rights sector when people can point at Libya in the chairman's
seat?'

Human Rights Watch and affiliated groups have proposed
minimumrequirements for HRC membership. To be eligible, governments should
ratifyall or most of the main human-rights treaties, issue a standing
invitationto the HRC's rapporteurs and not have been condemned by the HRC in
therecent past, they said.

IN A move that
could drive a diplomatic wedge between the DemocraticRepublic of Congo and
Zimbabwe, Harare is demanding $1.8-billion (aboutR15.3-billion) compensation
for its involvement in the war in Congo.

Zimbabwe needs the money to
shore up its depleted foreign currency reservesand pay for fuel and other
critical imports. It initially claimed it wouldnot demand payment for
helping Kinshasa fight Rwandan and Ugandan-backedrebels, but now wants Congo
to pay it back in US dollars the Z100-billion ithas sunk into the four-year
Great Lakes conflict.

The demand is said to have come up during a series
of meetings betweenCongolese and Zimbabwean officials in December. The
meetings were aimed atformalising shady business deals made during the
war.

The foreign currency crisis has resulted in Zimbabwe being unable to
pay forfuel imports from Libya and Kuwait.

A spokesman for Congo's
embassy in Harare said he would clarify thecompensation issue with Kinshasa
because he was not aware that his countrywas supposed to pay Zimbabwe for
its war effort.

Musina - Farm inspections by South Africa and Zimbabwe's
labour ministersflopped on Friday when they were met by only three farm
labourers dressed insuits and ties on one farm, and no workers on the
other.

Farm workers' rights activists said Labour Minister Membathisi
Mdladlana andhis Zimbabwean counterpart July Moyo wasted their time as they
were unableto get a proper picture of the abuse farm workers
suffered.

"Where have you seen a farm
worker working in a suit and tie. You could seethe clothes were new and
bought to deceive the ministers. One was evenlooking very uncomfortable in a
pair of new shoes."

While the ministers met with the three suited
labourers at Rudi Vos farm,they found no workers at Maswiri Boerdery, one of
the province's biggestcitrus and tomato farms.

Shirinda said: "Their
visit achieved nothing. They should have spoken toworkers as they're the
ones suffering."

The farms are near the Zimbabwean border and the visits,
according to labourspokespeople, were meant to give the ministers insight
into the extent ofZimbabwean labour in South Africa and compliance by the
Soutpansberg regionfarmers to labour legislation.

National labour
spokesperson Snuki Zikalala concurred that the visit was afailure and said:
"We were not satisfied. We'll still go [back] to thosefarms and see what is
happening."

The ministers did, however, see the leakiness of the Beit
Bridge border postwhen their police escorts nabbed three illegal Zimbabwean
teenagers.

Memorandum of understanding

Meanwhile, a small group of
unemployed farm labourers picketed during theministers' visit and demanded
that South Africans get first option for jobs.

Nkuzi organised the picket
and the workers also demanded that Mdladlanaensure the minimum wage for farm
workers was introduced at the beginning ofMarch.

Mdladlana and Moyo
have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding beforethe end of July this
year, to address critical issues like the plight offormer Zimbabwean migrant
mine workers, Zimbabwean farm workers in Limpopoand the revival of the joint
task force on chrysotile asbestos.

According to South Africa's labour
department, there are about 10 000illegal and legal Zimbabweans employed on
Limpopo farms.

The departments of labour and home affairs have been
trying to phase outillegal Zimbabwean farm workers in the province for about
four years. -African Eye News Service

Political Reporter
Lovemore MataireMDC secretary for legal affairs Mr David Coltart has
admitted that his partyis on the brink of collapse after losing last year's
presidential election.

Mr Coltart said disillusioned supporters were
leaving the party en masse asa result of failed expectations.

In an
18-page document leaked to the pirate SW Radio Africa station, MrColtart
said the public profile of the MDC leadership has gone down as aresult of
the defeat.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Coltart confirmed that he was the
author of thedocument, but said the views expressed in the damning report
were hispersonal views and not the general thinking in the party.

The
document is titled "The Emperor Without His Clothes - New Year MessageFrom
David Coltart".

"When the presidential election was stolen in March it
was inevitable thatthose not prepared for the long haul would lose heart and
that there wouldbe some fraying at the edges of the MDC's support. That has
certainlyhappened.

"In other words we knew that many who supported
the party in the run-up tothe March election would fall away as a result of
weariness, failedexpectations or through the realisation that the bandwagon
was not leaving.And that has happened."

Mr Coltart said in the
document another problem besetting the oppositionparty is the fact that most
of its financial donors have withdrawn theirsupport after investing heavily
in the party.

The shortage of funds has made it difficult for the MDC to
publish pamphletsand pay people for vigorous campaigns throughout the
country, he said.

"Furthermore, MDC found itself cash strapped after the
election havingpoured all its resources into that endeavour. In short, the
MDC has not hadthe resources to publish pamphlets and to pay for vigorous
campaignsthroughout the country," he said.

He alleged that the Public
Order and Security Act (POSA) has been used tosilence MDC leader Mr Morgan
Tsvangirai and that the Political PartiesFinance Act was preventing the MDC
from being funded effectively.

"The truth is that the MDC has been living
from hand to mouth financiallysince the election - virtually all our
resources were thrown into thecampaign and the coffers were virtually empty
by April. Since then we havespent a fortune in legal fees defending members
who have borne the brunt ofpolitically motivated arrests and the selective
application of the law bythe regime. In other words not only have we had to
contend with the Statefunds being used against us but also we have had to
spend our limitedresources on defending our position rather than on positive
work such asbuilding our structures and advertising our policies."

He
said the MDC leadership has been under attack from the Press for
beingcowardly following its failure to wage a violent struggle against
theGovernment.

He singled out a report by a BBC reporter, Fergal
Keane, which said the MDCwas lacking in direction and unity in the aftermath
of the presidentialelection.

Mr Coltart challenged the MDC leadership
to take the allegations seriouslyand that any problems should be promptly
addressed.

"No political party worth its salt would take these
allegations lightly andindeed it is in the interests of all Zimbabweans
committed to democracy totackle these concerns head on."

However, Mr
Coltart said that much of the criticism leveled against the MDCleadership
was coming from armchair critics sitting safely in London or
CapeTown.

He said some of the criticism was coming from those who
desire mass action,those who believe that demonstrations in the streets are
the only way todeal with the Zanu-PF regime.

"It is in this context
that some have accused the MDC of beingdirectionless," he said.

While
admitting that mass action was inevitable, Mr Coltart said the MDC
wasexploring other ways that could enable it to assume power. These
waysinclude the current legal action to over-turn the presidential
electionresult, the resumption of inter-party talks, international lobbying
andparty restructuring.

"MDC is absolutely committed to non-violent
and lawful means of bringingabout change. This commitment does not preclude
mass action as there aremany types of mass action that require detailed and
careful preparation andplanning and must be launched at the appropriate
times.

"We understand the frustrations of the people but we also know
that if themass action goes wrong we will be held responsible for any
resultant loss oflife," he said.

He commended the recent executive
reshuffle by Mr Tsvangirai especially thedismissal of former Highfield MP,
Mr Munyaradzi Gwisai, and the sideliningof the so-called Young
Turks.

Mr Coltart justifies the reshuffle on presumptuous assertions that
theCentral Intelligence Organisation had secretly recruited some members of
theexecutive.

He, however, said that although he was himself a target
of suspicion from MrTsvangirai and MDC vice president Mr Gibson Sibanda, he
now has a betterrelationship with the two.

He admits that all is not
well in the MDC as there is inherent mistrustamong even the top
leadership.

"Speaking personally my relationship with Morgan Tsvangirai
and GibsonSibanda has never been better. I am sure that both of them viewed
me withsome skepticism in the past as they would have viewed others in the
MDC.Were we just along for a ride-simply on the bandwagon or abroad with
otheragendas?" Mr Coltart queries.

Playing the tribal card and
substantiating the fact the opposition party wasbehind a document which was
being distributed in the country and in someWestern nations about the
Government's plan to eliminate Ndebeles, MrColtart laments the fact the
current Cabinet only has three Ndebeles.

He alleges that the appointment
of the new Cabinet in August last yearprovided proof of President Mugabe's
distrust of people around him as heonly elected three Ndebele ministers out
of the 27.

Mr Coltart took a swipe at white commercial farmers and the
businesscommunity for not taking a hard stance against the
Government.

"Sadly, one of the fundamental errors of judgment made by the
businesscommunity, the CFU and even regional and world leaders regarding
Mugabe isthat they have not appreciated just how far he was prepared to go
in hisquest to hold on to power."

He attacked President Thabo Mbeki
of South Africa for supporting theGovernment.

He, however, said on
his part, he has managed to try and lobby internationalsupport for the MDC
and the isolation of the Zimbabwean Government.

He boasts of having met
United Nations secretary general, Mr Koffi Annan andUnited States Secretary
of State, Mr Collin Powel in Washington last year inthe company of MDC
shadow foreign affairs minister, Mr Moses Mzila Ndlovu tocoerce sympathy for
the MDC.

He said he also held talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Mr
Bill Graham inOttawa.

"In other words the key players in the
international community are aware ofthe gravity of the situation and will
act to promote democracy. I have heardrumours circulating recently that the
United States of America will agree toa quick fix compromise, solution.
Nothing could be further from the truth."

He also said that he hosted, at
his home, Mr Raila Odinga, now a cabinetminister in the new Kenyan
government led by Mr Mwai Kibaki.

"Several years ago when he had dinner
in my home I was impressed by hiscommitment to promote democracy throughout
Africa. I have no doubt that hewill be a very useful ally in
Africa."

"But you should take my word
because I am the spokesperson of the party.Coltart is an honest clear man
who does not fear to express his mind but hisviews are personal. The
document has nothing to do with party policy," saidMr Nyathi.

He
dismissed Mr Coltart's assertions that the party was cash strapped
sayingthat the party had enough funds to carry out all its activities.

Mediators acting for top government officials have
floated the idea thatPresident Robert Mugabe would retire in return for
immunity fromprosecution, Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai,
disclosed lastnight.

Tsvangirai said he had talked with independent
mediators on behalf of thehouse speaker, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and armed
forces chief of staff, GeneralVitalis Zvinavashe. "They wanted my assurance
that if Mugabe retired, [theMovement for Democratic Change, Zimbabwe's
opposition party] would take partin a transition towards new democratic
elections."

Gen Zvinavashe and Mnangagwa, seen as Mugabe's heir apparent,
are two of themost powerful ruling Zanu-PF politicians.

Tsvangirai
said the approach was made because they said they realise Mugabe"is the main
stumbling block".

"They said Mugabe must step down before we can find
solutions to oureconomic decline and the hunger, among many other
problems."

Tsvangirai named retired Zimbabwean army Colonel Lionel Dyke,
a closeassociate of both men, as a mediator.

The mediators said the
two Zanu-PF leaders would secure Mugabe's retirementto regain some
international legitimacy for the country and get renewed aidand
investment.

Tsvangirai thought that Mnangagwa and Gen Zvinavashe had
tried to set uptalks because there is no clear Mugabe successor. "Clearly,
the successionissue has not been concluded and they were trying to position
themselves."

Despite the apparent promise that Mugabe would step down,
the oppositionleader turned down the mediators' suggestions.

"I
rejected that exploratory approach because we in Zimbabwe need
open,transparent discussions to lead us back to democracy. We cannot
acceptpre-conditions set up in secret deals," he said.

Tsvangirai's
MDC held direct talks with Zanu-PF last year. The talks quicklybroke down
but Tsvangirai said he thought there was a good chance for theirrenewal.
Tsvangirai said talks could determine how Mugabe would step downand the
establishment of a transitional coalition government leading to freeand fair
elections.

Issues to be considered include whether or not Mugabe would be
grantedimmunity from prosecution for alleged human rights abuses and whether
hewould be exiled. Tsvangirai has stated many times that any
power-sharinggovernment would only be temporary.

Zanu-PF party
officials were unavailable for comment. There has been noresponse from
Mugabe himself, who was scheduled to return to office todayafter a
holiday.

Sir, I have just watched Channel 4's
disturbing programme Mugabe's Secret Famine, with its harrowing scenes of
people in Zimbabwe feedingtheir children slices of wood in order to ward off
hunger pains. I find it indefensible that our Government plans to
supportPresident Bush's intentions to drop bombs on Iraq, which will
undoubtedlycause the deaths of children and other innocents, whilst the
plight ofpeople being starved of food deliberately by Mugabe's corrupt
regime isignored.

It seems to me to be inconsistent that
our country is all tooready to take action against Saddam Hussein because he
might have weapons ofmass destruction, but will do nothing about Robert
Mugabe who is alreadyvisibly using his weapon of mass destruction - the
total control of thedistribution of food, or, to be more precise, the
prevention of itsdistribution to his political opponents and their
dependants.

The Government should direct the Royal Air Force
to drop foodparcels on Zimbabwe's hungry rather than bombs on Iraq's
innocent.

HARARE, Zimbabwe, Jan. 13 - Ruling party and opposition officials
on Mondaydenied ever considering a deal to end Zimbabwe's political crisis
by havingPresident Robert Mugabe retire and hand authority to a new
power-sharinggovernment.

Independent mediators and opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai saidSunday that under the deal, Mugabe would agree
to step down and hisopponents were ready to vote with the ruling party for a
constitutionalamendment creating a caretaker government. But
ruling party representatives said to be behind the proposal andother
opposition leaders said Monday that they were not involved in any
suchnegotiations. Gen. Vitalis Zvinavashe, the commander of the
armed forces, toldstate radio that reports of the deal were ''not worth
commenting on.'' Zvinavashe, who had been named by mediators as one of
the twopowerful ruling party figures promising to deliver Mugabe's
retirement,dismissed the idea as ''the work of enemies bent on destroying
Zimbabwe.'' Opposition spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi also said the
Movement forDemocratic Change was not involved in negotiating an ''exit
package'' forMugabe. Mugabe, 78, who led the nation to
independence in 1980, won a newsix-year term in March elections despite
widespread accusations of humanrights abuses. Independent observers said the
elections were deeply flawedand the opposition, along with Britain, the
European Union and the UnitedStates, say the voting was rigged and
influenced by violence andintimidation. Ruling party Information
Secretary Nathan Shamuyarira also dismissedreports of Mugabe's potential
retirement, callng it ''a mixture of wishfulthinking and
mischief.'' Speaking to reporters at the headquarters of the ruling
Zanu-PF partyin Harare, Shamuyarira said Parliament speaker Emmerson
Mnangagwa, a partyofficial named by the mediators along with Zvinavashe,
knew nothing aboutthe plan. Opposition talks with the ruling
party, which were brokered byNigeria and South Africa, broke down last year
and the party's nationalcouncil, its top policy making body, declared
contacts closed, Nyathi saidin a statement. ''No further
negotiations can take place without a fresh mandate fromthe party's national
council,'' Nyathi said. Tsvangirai, however, claimed that the
''clandestine'' offer wasbrought to him by unnamed mediators. He
said his party could accept immunity for Mugabe and be prepared tovote for a
constitutional amendment allowing for a transitional governmentto prepare
for fresh elections in two years. Under the constitution, new
elections must be held within 90 days ofthe president leaving
office. Tsvangirai said he turned down initial overtures by mediators
latelast year, but he changed his mind because he believed there was a case
forZimbabweans to ''forget the past and move forward.'' However,
he said he didn't fully trust the offer and wanted itdiscussed
openly. ''The pot is boiling. There is a lot of agitation and debate
in thecountry. I am hopeful it may be more indicative of a solution at hand
thanat any other time,'' he said. Tsvangirai appeared not to have
taken the proposal to his colleagues,which could promote divisions in the
opposition leadership. Analysts said some opposition officials have
demanded a maximum ofsix months transitional rule before elections and
insist that Mugabe facetrial for alleged misrule and human rights abuses
under his leadership. Mugabe's whereabouts were unclear Monday. There
was no official wordon his scheduled return from a two week vacation
abroad. During the past three years, Mugabe's government has seized
most ofZimbabwe's thousands of white-owned commercial farms, calling it a
justifiedstruggle by landless blacks to correct colonial era injustices that
left4,000 whites with one-third of the farm land in the former British
colony. Political chaos and the government's isolation internationally
hascaused shortages of hard currency and essential imports.

The England
and Wales Cricket Board will decide today on the World Cupfixture in Harare
on Feb 13. Tatchell and seven other people, includingZimbabwean refugees,
entered offices at Lord's Cricket Ground after posingas a university sports
club.

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Chinese government greatly values its friendship and cooperation
withZimbabwe and will work together with it to further advance
bilateralrelations in the new century, says State Councilor Luo
Gan.

Luo made the remark in Beijing Monday at a meeting with Patrick
Chinamasa,Zimbabwean minister of justice, legal and parliamentary
affairs.

Luo said the friendship and cooperation between China and
Zimbabwe went backa long time and had withstood the test of international
volatile changes.

Since the two countries forged diplomatic ties more
than 20 years ago, theirrelationship had progressed smoothly with frequent
high-level exchanges andremarkable results in cooperation in politics,
economics, culture, educationand health work, said Luo. China was well
pleased with this, he added.

He said he was convinced that with joint
efforts from both sides, bilateralfriendship and cooperation based on mutual
respect, equality and mutualbenefits would achieve greater
heights.

Boosting legal and judicial exchanges followed the common
aspirations of thetwo governments and their peoples, he noted. He believed
this visit wouldnot only promote ties between the two ministries but also
help further thegrowth of bilateral relations.

Chinamasa, who is on
his first visit to China as guest of the ChineseMinistry of Justice, cited
the long history of bilateral friendship andcooperation between both
countries and their identical or similar views onmany major international
and regional issues.

The Zimbabwean government adhered to a one-China
policy, he said, and hiscountry would further strengthen bilateral
cooperation in various fields.